Means and method of treating crustacea



J. J. BARRY MEANS AND METHOD OF TREATING onus-mom July 17, 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet;

Filed April 30, 1927 Snuemtoz JHMES J BHFFK 3% Snow;

July 17, 1928.

J. J. BARRY MEANS AND METHOD OF TREATING GRUSTAGEA 2 Sheets-Sheet Fi led April 50, 1927 H| MW. MM WI m m Fmlpfia 0 v H 0 m a z W2 Ml a w a L Patented July 17,

PA ENT OFFICE.

:ms assay, or eaoucssnn, nails ax'n mnon or rnna'rnie oaus'racaa.

. Application fled April 80, 1997. Io. 187,785.

This inventionrelates to means and method of treating Crustacea, and the objects ofthe invention are toprovide an im roved means and method of separating the a om 1- rial articulated appen ages of Crustacea from the remainder of the bodyconsisting of head and'thorax; to perform this operation by machine; to obtain rapid and auto matic o erationof such machine; to snnultaneous y break' the shell and sever the two arts at the juncture of the thorax and abominal appendage; to discharge the two .parts invariably intoseparate receptacles; to obtain a continuous operationof the machine; to automatically introduce the Crustacea always in one direction, for instance, head first; in such case to automatically grip the head and thorax and retain the grip until after breaking the ap endage; to automatically release and disc arge the" gripped ortion which in the instance shown is said ead and thorax; to secure simplicity of construc tion and .o ration; and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brough out in the following description.

Refefrin to the accompanying drawings in which li e numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is'a side view of a machine embodying my invention; 7

Figure 2 is a sectional viewon line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view on greater scale than n Figure 1, showing the gripping means in operation;

Fi re 4 I is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the ipped crustacean in position where 1t has een broken and the head and thorax still retained in the gripping means;

Figure 5 is a view showing the grlppmg means released; and v Figure 6 is, a plan of a ortion of the machine showing several oft e gripping means in closed or gripping position at the ends of 5 the chutes by which the Crustacea are suppliedto said gripping means.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates an appropriate base or standard, having bearings 2 for rotatably I mounting a substantially horizontal shaft 3 which may be continuously rotated by slutable means such as electric motor properly geared thereto." Mounted on sa1d shaft 3 is a substantially radiall pro'ecting arm 5. This arm may be dup 'cate at several different angular positions about the shaft,

.as shown in Figure 1, and ma be duplicated T gy others along side of itse f as shown in igure 6, thus providing a'series of the arms around the shaft and a series of series along the shaft. While perhaps this duplication of arms will conduce to the smoother and more eflicient operation of the machine, it

is deemed within the scope of the inventionto employ a single arm if so desired or duplicate the same in any arrangement found most expedient or desirable. For brevity, Iwill describe the machine as if it did have but one arm since they have all been shown alike.

- Each arm preferably is in the nature of a leaf-s ring, to the extent, at any rate, that a resl iency exists'between the outer end portion of the arm and the shaft to which the inner end is attached or from which the arm is actuated. Except as interfered with by some obstruction, the arm will revolve with i the shaft, but when the outer end of-the arm is hindered, the shaft continues to rotate thereby flexing the arm which will ultimately snap'past the obstruction and regain its normal position with respect to the shaft. The outer end of each arm is equipped with a suitable crustacean grippin means 7, more full described below, whic when the arm is s oping with its free or outer end some what above a horizontal position, registers with a deliver chute 8 down which the Crustacea are fed y gravity or otherwise. Upon receipt of a crustacean in said gripping meanson the end of said arm, said gripping means closes and grips the crustacean, and

as I have shown the Crustacea fed to the .the shaft. The path ofrevolution of said arm in thus rapidly recovering itself, is upwardly to a substantially vertical position as shown in the drawin at which point a -led e or obstruction 10 1s positioned against WhlCh the crustacean strikes with considerable force." The blow thus struck is sufiicient to cause, in the instance shown, the appendage to break d and pass onto a chute 11 provided beyond the ledge for reception of the appendages as they are thus broken off and to discharge them as seen fit into receptacles or otherwise dispose of the same preparatory to or as part of the operation or operations to be performed upon them in packing or other treatment thereof. The arm 5, with contained head and thorax, again snaps past this obstruction and comes to a. substantially horizontalposition as shown in Figure 1, at which time the grippingmeans is opened and the portion of the crustacean is dropped to another chute 12 for such disposal or use as may be found desirable or expedient. The arm then passes around to its starting position again, when it receives another crustacean, the gripping means closingupon the same; and the several operations above described are repeated. I

It may be here noted that by employment of the series of arms around the shaft, that as one arm snaps past or becomes freed from the feed chute, another arm is substantially in Position thereunder, and is properly timed to arrive in position and have its gripping means close as the next crustacean slides into place. Each crustacean will therefore operate to hold the others back until the first in line has'been suddenly removed, when the next in line automatically moves forward into the gripping means which arrives at that moment in its cycle of operation. it thus avoid the necessity of other holding and trip means for the Crustacea in the chute.

Referring now in greater detail to the specific showin of parts, which have been illustrated herem, for purpose of being definite as to at least one operative construction, the gripping means 7 is preferably a semitubular member 13 transversely pivoted as at 14, at one end of itself to the arm 5. aid member is arranged to normally extend longitudinally of and lie over the end portion of arm 5, the pivoted end of said member being the end thereof toward the shaft 3. A leaf sprin 15 is shown secured to said arm and over ying said member to maintain said member in downward or closed position under normal conditions. end of the arm 5 underlying said semitubular clamp member 13, may be turned up at its edges so as to, provide a similar and co-0perating clamp member 16 between i which the head and thorax of the crustacean may be enclosed, and gripped in the instance where the Crustacea are fed iniheadfirst. It

is to be noted, however that the invention is charge of one crustacean and until ready to- If so desired, the

grip the next, I provide a. shoulder 17 in connection with said member adapted to be engaged by a'detent 18 pivoted, as at 19, to the arm 5. As shown, the shoulder 17 may be part of a cam-like member 20' secured to the trunnion or pivot 14 forming part of the gripping member. When the gripping member is swung open, said cam-like member necessarily turns with it, and the'hooked end of detent l8 rides over the cam surface 1 and ultimately drops down over the shoul- A tension spring 21 between said deder. tent and the arm 5 keeps the detent in engagement with said shoulder until some positlve means, such as a fixed trip 22 lifts the detent. Said fixed trip is properly positioned to secure a closure of the gripping means while the arm 5 is still relayed by pintles 9.

To overcome the closing action of leaf spring 15 on the gripping member 13 and open said gripping member, I provide a lever 23 in fixedconnection therewith, as upon the pivotor trunnion 14. As the arm 5 swings to a position shown in the drawing as substantially diametrically opposite the starting position, a trip 24:, fixed with respect to the base of the machine, is engaged by said lever, and as the arm proceeds, the lever is accordingly swung until detent 18 engages shoulder 17 as above described.

It may be added, by way of interest, that although the machine is adapted to use the Crustacea generally, it will probably beutilized more often with one specie of Crustacea, namely, shrimp,'which are now generally broken by hand and only the tail portion or appendage packed or used, while the body portion is thrown away. Furthermore, it

is to be understood that the showing herein is for purposes of being definite as to the fundamental invention and variouschanges and modifications may be made in the steps of the process and details of construction without departing from the spirit and sec e of the invention, and I do not wish to understood as limiting myself to the specific parts or arrangement thereof shown and' described except as set forth in the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having'thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A machine having an obstruction, and means for retaining a portion of an article to be broken and throwing said article forcibly against said obstruction thereby breaking said article and separating the broken parts.

2. A machine. having an obstruction a. swinging arm adapted to carry an article to be broken, and means for swinging said arm to forcibly strike said article on said obstruction for breaking said article.

3. A machine having an obstruction, a.

Ill

swinging arm, gripping means on said arm for temporarily securing thereto an article to be broken, and means for swinging said arm to forcibly strikevsaid article on said.

obstruction for breaking saidrarticle.

4. A. machine having a shaft, a substantially radially projecting arm from said shaft,the outer end of said arm adapted to- 'for a portion of its path of movement.

5. A machine having a shaft, a substantially radially projecting arm from said shaft, and the outer end of said arm adapted Y to be resiliently displacedwith respect to said shaft when obstructed, means fortemporarily obstructing said arm, means for feeding Crustacea individually to said arms during the period of obstruction of said arm,

and means forautomatically gripping said Crustacea on the arm when f ereto.

6. A machine having a shaft, a substantially radially projecting arm from said shaft, the outer end of said arm adapted to be resiliently displaced with respect to said shaft when obstructed, means for temporarlly obstructing said arm, means for feed mg a crustacean to said arm during the i period of obstruction of said arm, means for automatically gripping said crustacean on shaft, the outer end of sald arm adapted tobe resiliently displaced with respect to said the arm when fed thereto, said arm thereafter releasing from said obstructing means and swinging for a portion of its path of movement with accelerated motion,'and another obstruction in said path of accelerated motion of the crustacean to violently strike and be broken thereby. 4

7. A machine having a shaft, a substantially radially projecting 'arm from said shaft when obstructed, means for temporarily obstructing said arm, means for feeding a crustacean to said arm during the period of obstruction of said arm, means for automatically gripping said crustacean on the arm fed thereto, said arm thereafter releasing from said obstructing means and swinging fora portion of its path of movement with accelerated motion, another obstruction in said path of accelerated motion of the crustacean for the said crustacean to violently strike and be broken thereby, and means for automatically opening said gripping means for releasing the remaining portionof said crustacean and ready to receive another from said feeding means.

8. A machine providing aswinging arm in which a crustacean is adapted to be carried, an obstruction against-which the crustacean may be violently struck, gripping means on said arm comprising a swinging member ad-apted to open and close, means for holding said gripping member normally closed, and a detent for holding said gripping means open for a portion of the path of movement of said arm.

9. A machine providing a swinging arm in which a crustacean is adapted to be carried, an obstruction against which the crustacean may be violently struck, gripping means on said arm comprising a swinging member adapted to open and close, means for holding said gripping member normally closed, means for automatically swinging said member open, and a-detent for holding said gripping member open for a portion of the path of movement of said arm, means for feeding a crustacean to said arm during the period said gripping means is held open, and means for tripping said detent and permitting said gripping member to close on said crustacean. I

JAMES BARRY. 

